The NBA today released its broadcast schedules in India for the 2011-12 season. The season tips off on Christmas Day with two live games in India and continues with up to six live games each week on Ten Sports, Sony PIX and NBA.com/India throughout the season.

The season tip-off games in India on Christmas feature four of the most storied franchises in NBA history. Ten Sports will show the Boston Celtics and their All-Star quartet of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo take on the New York Knicks and their All-Star duo of Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony and their most recent addition, reigning NBA champion Tyson Chandler. Sony PIX will broadcast NBA MVP Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls against five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.

This weekend the only thing standing in the way of the Queensland Reds maiden Super Rugby title is 80 minutes of tough uncompromising Rugby against a Crusaders outfit who have taken each challenge thrown at them in 2011 in their stride.

A record Super Rugby crowd of 52,000 is expected to turn out at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night after the Final sold out in just 45 minutes when tickets went on sale on Wednesday morning.

With just two games standing in the way of being crowned the 2011 Super Rugby Champion, this weekend's Super Rugby Semi-Finals are set to be huge. While New Zealand are the only side to still have two teams in the hunt for the title, both have to travel away from home and face teams, who in 2011 have set the benchmark for the competition.

On Saturday evening the Queensland Reds will step out in front of what is expected to be a full house at Suncorp Stadium to take on the Auckland Blues who last week accounted for a gallant NSW. The Reds welcome back a trio of big names Digby Ioane, Beau Robinson and Anthony Faingaa for their first Super Rugby Semi-Final appearance in a decade.

After 17 weeks of the world’s toughest provincial Rugby competition the final home and away round of Super Rugby in 2011 shapes as the make or break round for several teams with finals hopes. While the Reds have secured top spot in the Australian Conference and the Stormers all but wrapping up the South African Conference it won’t be until the final whistle goes in Wellington on Saturday afternoon that the New Zealand Conference winner will be known.

The final make-up of the top six is also still up in the air with the Waratahs, Bulls, Sharks and Blues still in the hunt for one of the final three Super Rugby Finals Series places, with the Blues also in the mix to snatch top spot in the New Zealand conference from the Crusaders should they slip up in their match against the Hurricanes.